Bottled water dispensing systems and point of use water systems require means to sterilize the water within the system to ensure that the water therein does not harbor any bacteria or other contaminants. Such systems include a water source, which may be a point of use source which delivers water to a water reservoir, or an inverted bottle which is mounted such that the bottle mouth sits in a reservoir into which the water from the bottle may collect. Typically, a dispensing spout communicates with the reservoir which allows for water to be dispensed from said reservoir. Water within the reservoir is prone to the propagation of bacteria and germs given that often the reservoirs are not sealed and are contaminated by external sources, such as the outside of the water bottle. Known systems are not easy to be sterilized, thus the cleaning out process is frequently ignored and water contamination and virus reproduction inside water coolers may end up jeopardizing people's health.
One known solution is to provide ozone sterilizing systems within water coolers, wherein an ozone generator produces ozone and delivers it to water in the reservoir with ozone injection and diffusion means. The water in the reservoir is sterilized by the injected ozone. Generated ozone is then dissipated out of the water. Because generated ozone is potentially noxious and strict regulations control and often prohibit emission of ozone into air, known systems require that the ozone injection systems be operated for short periods of time followed by long periods of inactivity to allow excess ozone to dissolve such that it dissipates to a point that it becomes non-hazardous and falls under the maximum concentrations allowed by regulation with the lapse of time.
There is a need for an improved ozone sterilization system for use with water dispensing systems.